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The Federal Railroad Administration and Technology The Federal Railroad Administration creates and enforces rail safety regulations The Federal Railroad Administration also provides funding for rail and researches rail improvement strategies FRA inspectors on the ground make use of discretion to determine which cases are worthy of the lengthy and precise civil penalty process This discretion helps to ensure that the most serious violations are punished Members of SMARTTD and their allies made history in 2024 by pushing the FRA to keep two people in the cabs of locomotives of freight trains The fight continues Safety The Federal Railroad Administration has a variety of safety measures in place to protect the safety and health of employees as well as the general public It creates and enforces rail safety regulations administers rail funding and researches strategies for improving rail and new technologies It also creates and implements a strategy to maintain current infrastructure rail services and capacity and strategically expands and improves the nations rail network The department demands that all rail companies adhere to strict regulations and empower their employees and provide them with tools to be secure and productive This includes participating in the confidential close call reporting system establishing occupational health and safety committees with full participation from unions and protection against retaliation and providing employees with the necessary personal safety equipment Inspectors of the FRA are at the leading edge of enforcing rail safety regulations and laws They conduct routine inspections of equipment and conduct a multitude of investigations into complaints of noncompliance Those who violate the safety rules for rail can be penalized civilly Safety inspectors at the agency have wide discretion to determine if violations fall within the definition provided by law of an act that is punishable with civil penalties The Office of Chief Counsels safety division also examines all reports submitted by regional offices to determine if they are legal before assessing penalties The exercise of this discretion at both the field and regional levels ensures that the exacting timeconsuming civil penalty process is utilized only in cases that are truly deserving of the effect of a civil fine To be considered guilty of a civil offense the employee of a rail company must be aware of the rules and regulations that govern the conduct of his or her employees They must also knowingly ignore these rules The agency does not consider that a person who acts in response to a supervisors direction has committed a willful offence The agency defines general railroad system as the entire system that carries goods and passengers between metropolitan areas and cities The trackage of a plant railroad at a steel mill is not considered to be part of the overall transportation system by rail even being physically connected to it Regulation The Federal Railroad Administration sets train regulations ranging from those related to safety and the movement of hazardous materials The agency is responsible for managing rail finance including loans and grants to improve service and infrastructure The agency collaborates with other DOT agencies as well as industry to devise strategies to improve the nations rail infrastructure This includes maintaining the current rail infrastructure and services addressing the need for additional capacity and expanding the network strategically and coordinating the regional and national system planning and development The agency is primarily responsible for freight transport but also manages passenger transportation The agency is aiming to provide more options for passenger travel and connect passengers with the places theyd like to go The agency is focused primarily on improving the experience of passengers as well as enhancing the safety of its existing fleet and ensuring the rail network is operating efficiently Railroads are required to abide with a range of federal regulations which include the ones pertaining to the size and composition of train crews This is an issue of contention in recent years with several states enacting legislation that requires twoperson crews on trains This final rule codifies federally the minimum size crew requirements making sure that all railroads follow the same safety standards This rule also requires that every railroad operating with a crew of one notify FRA and submit an analysis of risk This will allow FRA to compare the parameters of each operation with the parameters of a standard twoperson crew operation This rule also alters the standard for reviewing an application for special approval from determining if an operation is consistent with railroad safety to determining if the operation is as safe or more secure than a twoperson crew operations During the public comment period for this rule many people supported the requirement for a twoperson crew A letter from 29 people outlined their concerns that a single crew member would not be as quick to respond to trainrelated malfunctions or crossing incidents or assist emergency responders at a highwayrail grade crossing Commenters emphasized that human factors are the reason for more than half of all railroad accidents They believe that a larger team will ensure the safety of the train as well as its cargo Technology Freight and passenger railroads employ numerous technologies to improve efficiency improve security increase safety and much more Rail industry jargon comprises many unique terms and acronyms fela lawyer of the most notable include machine vision systems also known as drones instruments for railinspection systems driverless trains rolling data centers and unmanned aerial vehicles also known as drones Technology isnt only able to replace certain jobs It helps people perform their jobs better and more safely Passenger railroads use smartphones apps and contactless fare cards to boost ridership and improve the efficiency of their system Other innovations like autonomous rail cars are getting closer to reality The Federal Railroad Administration as part of its ongoing efforts to promote secure reliable and affordable transportation in the United States is focusing on modernizing the railway infrastructure This is a multibillion dollar project that will see bridges and tunnels rebuilt as well as tracks and power systems upgraded and stations rebuilt or upgraded The FRAs rail improvements program will be significantly extended by the recently passed bipartisan Infrastructure Law The agencys Office of Research Development and Technology is a major piece in this effort Recent National Academies review of the office revealed that it was successful in engaging in a continuous dialogue and utilizing the inputs of a wide range of stakeholders However it needs to concentrate on how its research contributes to the departments primary objective of ensuring the safe movement of people and goods by railway The agency could improve its efficiency by identifying and supporting automated train systems and technology The Association of American Railroads AAR is the main industry association for the freight rail industry which is focused on research and policy as well as standard setting and has established a Technical Advisory Group for Autonomous Train Operations to help establish standards for the industry FRA will be interested in the creation of an automated rail taxonomy a system of standards to clearly and consistently define the different levels of automation that could be applicable to both rail and onroad transit vehicles The agency will need to know the amount of risk the industry is assessing with fully automated operation and whether the industry is contemplating any additional safeguards to minimize that risk Innovation Railroads are using technology to increase worker safety and make business processes more efficient and help ensure that the freight it transports arrives at its destination intact These innovations range from sensors and cameras that monitor freight to new railcar designs that keep hazardous cargo safe during transit Some of these technologies even offer railroads the ability to dispatch emergency personnel to locations of accidents so they can swiftly mitigate damage and minimize risk to property and people One of the most renowned innovations in rail is Positive Train Control PTC which will inhibit collisions between trains and trains situations in which trains are on tracks that shouldnt be as well as other accidents that result from human error This system consists of three parts onboard locomotive systems which track the train wayside networks which communicate with the locomotive and a huge server that collects and analyses data Passenger railroads are also embracing technology to improve safety and security For instance Amtrak is experimenting with drones to aid security staff in locating passengers and items on board trains in the event in the event of an emergency The company is also examining ways to use drones They could be used to inspect bridges and other infrastructure or to replace the lighting on railway towers that are dangerous for workers to climb Other technologies that could be utilized for passenger railroads include smart track technology which can detect the presence of objects or people on the tracks and issue an alert to drivers when its unsafe for them to proceed These technologies are especially useful for detecting unauthorized crossings or other issues in the evenings when the traffic is lower and there are fewer witnesses to an accident Another significant technological advance in the railway industry is telematics which enables railroads shippers and other stakeholders to see the status and condition of a traincar by realtime tracking These capabilities provide railcar operators and crews greater accountability and transparency and aid in improving efficiency prevent unnecessary maintenance and prevent delays in the delivery of freight to customers